I looked for the resource on Web 2.0 in our class site, but I wasn't given a very clear definition of what it was there. So I did what any Generation M internet user would do, I Googled it! Interestingly enough, Web 2.0 is a term that applies to internet applications that facilitate communication, sharing, collaboration and are user-centric. Needless to say, that definition gave me a fast list of Web 2.0 applications. Each of which has merit in education, finding ways to use them will be the fun part.
One blog that I've begun following that speaks to Web 2.0 tools is http://kerryhawk02.blogspot.com/ Kerry is a History teacher on the East Coast who blogs about teaching with technology. It seems that she's taking the summer off for the most part, but her latest blog is about a conference she went to about Building Learning Communities. The blog entry is mostly a chronicle of the conference itself, which contains useful information about ways to incorporate technology. If you're struggling with ways to use it in your content areas, I recommend taking a look at it.
More on life later,
~Ren
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Technological Immersion 2.0
After reading the Wired article for this week's class, I fixated on Internet privacy for several hours. There are stories everywhere about security breaches and leaks of private information. The recent iPad e-mail list springs to mind.
So with supposedly secure information getting out, it doesn't really surprise me that Generation M is less concerned about their privacy. The attitude is one of "the information is out there anyway." Frightening stuff.
Focusing solely on user provided information, teens need to be more aware of what they put out there and how it is used by both targeting advertisers and future employers. This past year when I worked for a publication division of a marketing and fundraising corporation, our department hired 25 interns, and everyone helped interview. When we looked at applications, we got their names and looked for them on Facebook. While we brought people in to interview regardless of their Facebook profiles, we did make notes about their public information and no doubt subconsciously considered those notes during the interview process. Other companies might not be so circumspect, and throw applications out when the profile picture is one of an underage kid drinking straight from a vodka bottle. Granted, that example is rather extreme, but that's exactly what we saw in some cases.
Generation M's tendency to be constantly connected presents problems as well in the gossip department. Rumors already diffuse quickly in large groups of teens, the internet has made this process much more deadly. The information, true or not, is stamped digitally and impossible to fully erase. Reminding students that they have a responsibility to keep themselves safe online will hopefully increase their likelihood to be careful about what information they provide.
More on life later,
~Ren
So with supposedly secure information getting out, it doesn't really surprise me that Generation M is less concerned about their privacy. The attitude is one of "the information is out there anyway." Frightening stuff.
Focusing solely on user provided information, teens need to be more aware of what they put out there and how it is used by both targeting advertisers and future employers. This past year when I worked for a publication division of a marketing and fundraising corporation, our department hired 25 interns, and everyone helped interview. When we looked at applications, we got their names and looked for them on Facebook. While we brought people in to interview regardless of their Facebook profiles, we did make notes about their public information and no doubt subconsciously considered those notes during the interview process. Other companies might not be so circumspect, and throw applications out when the profile picture is one of an underage kid drinking straight from a vodka bottle. Granted, that example is rather extreme, but that's exactly what we saw in some cases.
Generation M's tendency to be constantly connected presents problems as well in the gossip department. Rumors already diffuse quickly in large groups of teens, the internet has made this process much more deadly. The information, true or not, is stamped digitally and impossible to fully erase. Reminding students that they have a responsibility to keep themselves safe online will hopefully increase their likelihood to be careful about what information they provide.
More on life later,
~Ren
Monday, July 26, 2010
Podcasting could easily become addictive, but is it useful?
So for our podcasting exercise, I worked with Erin and both of us had some technical difficulties with the software. We were using Aviary, and admittedly it was pretty funny that we hit record without authorizing the software so talked for about thirty seconds before realizing nothing was recording. We were running short on time once we got it all in order, so the intro and exit music does not match with the feel of the piece, oh well. Anyone who goes through and listens to each of the podcasts will forgive us I'm sure.
Onto the use of the technology. I enjoyed podcasting. I think I'd enjoy longer bursts than two minutes and could potentially talk for long stretches of time about topics that interest me. Educational or otherwise. I can easily see the use of the technology in an elementary classroom, mostly because my elementary school career, which was at a different school for each grade, included some recordings of my learning. In my fourth grade classroom in the UK for example, each week groups of four kids were taken aside to read simple stories aloud into a tape recorder, like a radio-play. At the end of the exercise, the entire class would listen to the tape. It was designed to improve sight-reading and to generate pride in literate ability, after all, who doesn't like to hear themselves talk? I always loved the exercise because I was in the advanced reader group and I knew it. (Difficult pronunciation was given a "do over" and recorded over so nobody sounded foolish on the finished tape.)
There you see, is the elementary application of the technology. I think it could be an interesting project to include for secondary education in creating non-traditional research projects. I think many secondary students would get behind a "radio show" exercise where they would get to interview a character from the books we read in English or a historical figure we've covered in Social Studies.
I would like to use the podcasting technology in my classroom in the future. Definitely more likely to use it than Twitter, but only time will tell.
More on life later,
~Ren
Onto the use of the technology. I enjoyed podcasting. I think I'd enjoy longer bursts than two minutes and could potentially talk for long stretches of time about topics that interest me. Educational or otherwise. I can easily see the use of the technology in an elementary classroom, mostly because my elementary school career, which was at a different school for each grade, included some recordings of my learning. In my fourth grade classroom in the UK for example, each week groups of four kids were taken aside to read simple stories aloud into a tape recorder, like a radio-play. At the end of the exercise, the entire class would listen to the tape. It was designed to improve sight-reading and to generate pride in literate ability, after all, who doesn't like to hear themselves talk? I always loved the exercise because I was in the advanced reader group and I knew it. (Difficult pronunciation was given a "do over" and recorded over so nobody sounded foolish on the finished tape.)
There you see, is the elementary application of the technology. I think it could be an interesting project to include for secondary education in creating non-traditional research projects. I think many secondary students would get behind a "radio show" exercise where they would get to interview a character from the books we read in English or a historical figure we've covered in Social Studies.
I would like to use the podcasting technology in my classroom in the future. Definitely more likely to use it than Twitter, but only time will tell.
More on life later,
~Ren
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